Ferdinandas Ruščicas

Ferdynand Ruszczyc, a painter, graphic artist and theatre artist, was born on 10 December 1870 in Bohdanow (now Belarus, about 80 km from Vilnius). In 1892–1897 he studied painting at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art under I. Shishkin and A. Kuinji. While still a student he visited the Crimea, the island of Bornholm, and Sweden. In 1898 he travelled to Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. He returned to live in Bohdanow though he often visited Vilnius and Warsaw and he kept in touch with the artists of St. Petersburg. He was a member of the Polish artists’ society Sztuka, contributed to the establishment of the Warsaw School of Art and in 1904–1906 worked there as a teacher. In 1907 he lectured at the Cracow Academy of Art. In 1908 he returned to his native place. In 1919 he began to organise the Faculty of Arts in the revitalised Vilnius University and was its professor and dean (until 1932). He painted romantic and symbolic landscapes, illustrated books, periodicals, produced posters and stage settings. He died on 30 October 1936 in Vilnius.